Let Rain Fall
by Serpentillia
Summary: An royal assasin, a princess, a set of very grimy dungeons, a merman desperately needing to get back into the sea...and Princess Kiara in the middle of it all...will she find her true love? Or will she drown in the chaos? [TITLE CHANGE]
1. The Awakening of the Diary

**Hi! Thanks for clicking on my story. The plot o come is really cute, at least I think it is. Hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think…**

**I don't own anything, blah blah blah…

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**4:30 PM**

**Royal Gardens**

Ha. So they think I take too much stress? Way to go, dad. Makes me feel SO MUCH BETTER to hear that on my BIRTHDAY, right? I mean, come on, a girl turns 16 and you expect something more then a stupid diary. A diary with leather straps and a silly little pen pocket, no less.

Meh. Well. I might as well be reasonable and make the most of it, and use it like a good little princess.

Sudfhiosdhfiosdufiosduifousdiofusdfuidsfuodfuidfuoidsfu-

Or not. I could just scribble. But that would mean that I'd be wasting my ink. Hmm. Tough call.

Well at least this isn't the only present I'm going to get. Hopefully all the people coming to my ball tonight will have a REAL present for me. Not some cheap diary. I'm a princess for godsake! I was expecting…hmm…a tiara! Yeah, like Mum's got. Except hers is kinda ugly. Maybe one like Aunt Machlondria (Mac for short, WHAT were her parents THINKING?) Hers is cool, with these aquamarine jewels and delicately carved frame…sigh.

Sorry, just slipped off for a moment there. Why am I saying sorry to you anyway? You are just a diary. See what Dad did? He's making me go mad.

Well I'm pretty crazy to start with. Being a princess kind of sucks I mean the whole ball thing is pretty cool (Come on, what girl in her right mind does not enjoy a good ball? Princes and other nobles and dukes simply fawn over me, wanting to dance, carrying drinks for me, fanning me in the summertime… sometimes they even fight over me. Its _way_ cool) but apart from balls and getting all the attention, it's really boring.

And…well…no one really knows the _real_ stuff about you, you know? Like my greatest passion (and this is going to sound weird) is climbing. I love climbing the parapet of our castle, scaling the fortifications, climbing anything at all. I've spent a lot of my childhood climbing the trees in this very garden. Actually, I'm in a massive oak right now. Yup, between these lofty leaves, I've got a bird's-eye view of the back of the castle and the whole garden. You'd be surprised how many proposals I've eavesdropped, and how many gross nobles I've had to watch kiss with a servant girl… andhow many conspiracies I've overheard being discussed.

But don't tell anyone ;)

**5:45 **

**Mother's dressing room**

I'm dying. I really am. I'm hiding behind Mother's bookshelf. It's a good thing I'm pretty skinny.

I'm hiding from my extremely formidable mother. She's in her HUGE, and I mean HUGE as in half the size of the dining room huge dressing room. She's chucking random clothes out, and the heap of gowns is steadily growing.

'Baby, try on the scarlet one, it'll go lovely with your hair.' She yelled, buried somewhere deep and unfathomable in the hideous dress. I have no time or patience for dresses. I don't mind looking pretty but I don't go gaga over them like some people…ahem. I don't have a choice for this ball though; the princess must look lovely at all times but especially gorgeous (not possible in my case) for a party held in her honor.. Someone kill me now…

'Kiara, the aquamarine one looks lovely on you, it'll bring out your eyes but it is _so_ last fashion, no? Maybe the silk black but I don't want you to look _too_ somber, maybe we can just get the neckline lowered…' Mother mumbled as she finally emerged from the closet. Her mouth was full of pins as she stabbed them one by one into a fuchsia lantern-style skirt.

Ewwww.

I really don't want to wear pink…it's just so…loud.

Maybe I can dress up like a servant girl and enjoy the dance properly like I did last year.

Yeah, right.

**7:00 PM**

**The Alcove in the Ballroom**

So.

I wore that turquoise dress after all. It does bring out the color in my eyes, I suppose, but after taking one look at my long black hair hanging around my face, Mother said I look like a ghost of a girl and promptly did my hair up in a complicated French twist thing. It looks pretty now, with pearls woven in and through my hair.

The Hall looks absolutely magnificent. Pierre, the head butler, has really outdone himself. There are soft blue cloths thrown across the lamps to give the room a soft, calming glow and scones in the shape of seashells along the walls. Keeping with the underwater theme, most of the guests are dressed in shades of blue, except my mother. She's wearing a radiant rose colored sheath dress, and she's practically glowing, surrounded by a mass of blue.

Yeah. You're probably wondering why, exactly I'm hiding out here in this tiny alcove tucked behind the drinks counter.

Well, I'll tell you, Diary. Take it as a sense of trust, as my new confidante.

Well basically here because…

I hate the sea. Isn't it ironic? My parents didn't even bother asking me if I'd like a sea theme. Not that I'd have told them why I hated the sea in the first place. Like hell I'd tell them something like that.

And my main reason for hiding in here, spying on the rest of the guests, is because before entering the ballroom I climbed up onto the roof of the castle (figured out a secret passageway when I was six to reach it) and spied on the ballroom, while it was getting decorated.

And guess what I saw…

I saw two men hiding behind a pillar, almost completely camouflaged. And one was holding a long shiny knife, which, from my high vantage point, was glistening rather menacingly.

_Happy Birthday to me._

**7:15**

**The Drinks Table**

Of course, the obvious thing to do would have been to alert the guards, for all I know they could just have been party crashers…with really pointy knives. But I didn't want to ruin my party.

So here I am, trying to look inconspicuous, and drinking some champagne (ahh, the benefits of turning 16) and keeping a wary eye out for the intruders/kidnappers/assassins/murders/conspirators/thieves/pirates/revolutionaries just to name a few possible enemies the Crown may have made.

Ohh, Mother is coming my way, and she doesn't seem pleased to see me scribbling this down, ignoring the princes…

**7:25**

**The East Balcony**

Great. Juuust great. Mother got all annoyed and red like an overcooked lobster and nearly fried me along with her.. Jeez. How was I meant to know that I had to actually _mingle?_

God, how I hate that word. When mother says mingle she means be social and pretty and polite and obligingly dance with all the young men and laugh at their funny-but-not-really jokes. Mingle to me means put up a fake smile and let them ogle me and brush me 'accidentally'. I don't know which meaning is worse.

Bleh. Feh. Meh.

Ok I'm done being sulky now. I promise.

So here I am, on the East Balcony, facing the woods behind our castle. It's my favorite view of the trees.

I'm trying to relax but I keep fidgeting and my heart is wildly pounding for no good reason.

Or maybe…for a good reason…you see, he two men behind the pillar were gone when I last checked.

And just like that, two armed unwanted visitors were on the loose in the Palace of the Crowned.

**7:32**

**In a Muddy Ditch. Don't Ask.**

So you asked. Well lets just say we can be pretty sure that hmm….MY LIFE IS IN DANGER.

Here is what happened:

I was standing on the East Balcony, scribbling to you in the meager moonlight, minding my own business, when all of a sudden…

Argh, I suck at being dramatic.

Ok. Well. Here goes. I was just _standing_ there and out of nowhere a hand reaches out and pulls on my hair from behind, really, I mean _really_ hard. I yelped and screamed and squealed with all the surprise and rage a princess can muster (not much, trust me).

But luckily, my instincts from climbing tons and tons of trees kicked in and before my assailant could say 'Gotcha!' I leapt up onto the balustrade that surrounds the semi-circular balcony.

So there I was, looking pretty impressive (I hope) with my hair coming loose and flying in the wind, my torso framed by the moon, and then…I toppled over.

I know, I know. You'd think I'd have a little more balance, but hey, it's not everyday I get attacked. So I fell, thankfully straight into a clump of shrub below the balcony. And all I could think of was this story my father used to read me about a boy named Aladin, and how he managed to look like he was balancing on her rail when in reality he was actually hovering in mid-air on an enchanted carpet.

I want a magic carpet.

So I lay there in the shrubs till I heard absolutely no noise at all and then I pushed myself out and it turns out I was on a small hill of dirt. So I tumbled out, rolling over and over and I couldn't stop…until I landed here, in this disgusting bug-infested ditch.

I guess I'm just lucky.

**7:45**

**Still In the Ditch.**

Thank god I've found this candle stub otherwise I might have gone mad, waiting here for all sounds to subside until I can get out of here.

Lalalalalala. I'm bored.

I bet Mother is going to have me killed for ruining my own party. She'll have a heart attack seeing me all wild and dirty and...and filthy. So she'll kill me.

Naah, that's way too nice. She'll kill me and then resurrect me and then kill me again, slowly and painfully.

I hope those men are happy, now. They probably think I'm dead. I bet the King of Derudia sent them; he's my father's greatest enemy. Yup, the assassins should be long gone by now, probably enjoying the party in disguise or something equally -

heinnfnglkdflkjfdgkldf,g/…………fg.df….fg….d….

Hel...

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**Author's Note: Dun dun dun. PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE review, I really need to know whether or not to continue!!! Even if you really can't be bothered and your finger is really tired and your mum is yelling at you to get off the PC…click on the little blue button and**

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**Take all my readers out there, and till we meet again… (hopefully sooner then I think I can).**


	2. The Wonders of a Dungeon

******Thanks for _four reviews_ goes to : _Dead Cheerleader, aimeram, simplegrl007, and ConfusedFaerie_, thanks you guys!!! Hope to read more helpful comments from you :)Dont own anything at all.

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**Somewhere dirty

Dont own anything at all. Somewhere dirty 

**Sometime sunny**

Well. This is it then.

This is how it's going to end, the death of the lovely Princess Kiara.

Stuck in a dirty-vile-damp-horrid dungeon. A_ dungeon!_

Did I mention its rat infested? No really, Diary, it is. When I came to consciousness laying on a lovely little bed of suspiciously moldy…something, the scuffling noises of RATS was what I heard.

So of course, that's why my life is going to end. It's very simple really.

Rats + Kiara Death of someone/thing preferably the rats but most probably Kiara.

Aren't I just a little ray of sunshine?

Ok, ok, I should at least try and be optimistic. I mean, the chances of me being rescued from a tiny cell in someplace-I-don't-know-where while my parents enjoy the very party I was meant to host are…hmmm….let me think….

ZERO.

There is zero chance of me being rescued. Period.

It's a good thing I'm so calm. I'm not panicking, not screaming, just calmly sitting here on this lump of moldy blankets in my stupid turquoise dress which I don't even like and writing to You.

Yes, I have decided to give You an identity. It is slightly, though not much by all means, comforting to know that an inanimate object is at least aware of my plight. Now if I just alert the Royal Army we might be getting somewhere….

**Same unknown place**

**Half hour later**

This horrible old man just came in carrying a pail about three minutes ago. I think they sent him to feed the animals in this cell.

Haha.

Anyways, he actually gave me some hope that someone might be coming to tell me what, exactly, I'm being imprisoned for.

So he hobbles in, and leers at me, and I'm trying to be as prim and dignified as the situation allows. I sat there with my legs tucked beneath me and my back ramrod straight.

My etiquette instructor back home would have been proud to see that my manners were put to use so beautifully for a jailer.

But I don't really think he really cared about my posture; he just came in, dumped the pail in a dark corner away from me, and then came closer and closer to me…

I gave him a look which clearly showed him how not impressed I was, and then went back to diligently pretending I was writing to you while really I was watching him inch closer and closer to me.

'The master wishes you to eat, Princess.' He rasped, still to close for comfort.

I said nothing.

'He wouldn't like to see you…_ravished_ with hunger.' He said, taking delight in speaking as sinisterly as possible.

'Well that's his bloody problem; I'm not eating your slop!'

Aren't I just the perfect guest?

He just laughed, giving me a much unwanted view of his yellowing teeth. And then he left.

Look, I'm only trembling cause it's cold, ok?

I don't _get_ scared.

**Where do you think?**

**About two hours later.**

So I realized soon enough that trying to pick your nails clean or pace around in circles does get tedious after awhile. So of course, I did the classic 'Let me out, LET ME OUT OR YOU'LL BLOODY PAY'-While-effectively-banging-on-the-doors-and-stomping-your-feet routine that is must for all new prisoners, according to the manual page three (ha) but all I got out of it was raw hands.

And then I had the bright idea to look _up_ and saw that my dungeon was actually one of a set of dungeons - one ofthe four walls only went up three quarters. There was huge hollow space which, I imagined, would give a person a good view of the adjoining dungeon if he or she climbed up onto the wall. The area of the floor was actually very less but the walls were high. I presumed there was someone on the other adjoining dungeon so I did my best to be neighborly and yell to them but all I got in response was a rather anguished yell to shut up.

Anyway, after feeling so wonderfully encouraged I just decided on trying to find materials to climb the wall. Look, not my brightest idea, ok? But someone very smart and famous once said 'Play to your strengths.'

If only I could remember who…

But that (don't laugh) didn't wok either and after briefly inspecting the brown contents of the pail I gave up and plunked back down on the 'blankets'.

My father would have sent out the strongest armies, and his fastest men despite the fact I'm perfectly capable of escaping this ridiculous prison myself. But then, my father always did think women were weak helpless creatures.

I swear, sometimes I feel like my parents have never even met me!

Oh. Someone is knocking again. Ha, as if I would have the right to refuse them entry if wished! Isn't ironic that someone is knocking on a door locked from the outside?

The people here don't seem to be very bright: first the jailer, then the prisoner next door who refuses to co-operate and help me escape this wretched place, and now this imbecile knocking –

Oh. He's only checking if I'm properly dressed because 'he wouldn't dare intrude on a lady dressing.' Yeah right. His words, not mine.

He wants me to go with him to whoever ordered my capture. He seems infinitely more humane then the jailer. He's one of the pageboys, I think, and rather timid and shy. He could be useful…

We shall see.

**Back in jail**

**About 5 PM, I should think**

Well. That did NOT go as planned. Not to my plan, nor to Jasper's. And even though I'm infinitely less bored since I have a great opportunity of escaping, I'm still not 100 FREE. Yet. This means, of course, I have a lot of work left to do.

I'm sure you're very confused and have no idea what I'm going on about, right?

Well I'll start from the beginning. The pageboy, who was about a year older to me and as I correctly presumed, a shy and easily frightened ass.

We walked in relative silence through the castle, which I instantly recognized as the famous Fortress of Derudia, a massive building made of entirely blood-red stone; it's very famous for the color. Folklore claims that it's the blood of their ancestors who won the War of Contrii 300 years go, where they died fighting a noble death and, are till today, guarding the Royal Family by the essence that remains in the walls.

Of course, I had to thank my governess for all this information; the pageboy had nothing interesting nor remotely useful to contribute one way or another.

At least until I tried my intimidation tactics on him.

'So, what your name?' I began sweetly. He turned red and walked faster.

'Carl. Well, it's really Carl Junior if you think about it. But it's only me father's middle-'

'I see'. I interrupted him quickly. 'I'm Kiara. It's a pleasure to meet you, Carl, or Carl Jr.' I flashed him a smile. He nearly missed his step.

'It's mighty cold in here, no?' I said conversationally. I hate the cold, 'I mean, for April.'

'Yes. Are you quite comfortable, though?' He said, almost dazedly, completely charmed by my beauty. I hope. The shy, retrovert attitude was gone and a mellow resistance remained. 'Of course.' NOT. I live in a dungeon, what does he think?!

'So where exactly are we headed?'

'I – can't say. I'm terribly sorry-' What a wuss.

'It's quite alright, you're only doing your job.' I sighed dramatically. 'It's just, with these horrible handcuffs, I feel like…like a-' Here, I sniffled for good measure. 'I feel like a _criminal_.'

'Aww, miss, don't be that way, he said uneasily. 'If there is anything I can get you…' We turned into another hallway and down a set of stairs.

'Well…there is one thing. Could you at least remove these handcuffs? I'd feel so much better. Please?' I stared at him imploringly and turned on the famous Kiara puppy-dog eyes charm.

He hesitated, and then pulled out a set of three keys.

Score!

Approximately seven minutes later the pageboy was handcuffed around his ankles with my handkerchief serving as a gag. I was breathing a little heavier, but he had proved quite an easy fight.

Women are _so_ underestimated.

000

Ok, so I felt bad for the pageboy. He'd be severely punished. So I decided to at least hide him so no one would find him and he'd have time to make up a suitable story so that he sounded at least a little more heroic then he did in real life. I mean, he actually squealed when I knocked him down. For goodness's sake, man, show a little backbone! I have yet to find a man who can do a woman's job, yet all the woman I know could do any man's job, such as rule a kingdom or something else equally trival. Its common knowledge my father is only a name – the real power is Mother.

Anyways, back to the matter at hand.

I wandered the castle for about two hours, spying on the servants, climbing on to the pillars in the main hall and eavesdropping. I didn't attract attention, thankfully. I must say, the guards are awfully slow on the uptake. Whomever sent for me mustn't have wanted me that badly because there was no signs of anyone searching for an escaped prisoner.

And then finally I found myself back to the dungeons. I had been wandering the hallways till I descended about three levels of creaky staircases. They led to a dark, creepy hallway lied with dungeons, exactly the same place the pageboy had led me out of. Again, I heard the agonized yells coming, louder and louder.

And so I made a decision, based on the information I got from those yells…anyone in that much pain would do anything to make it stop. Right?

000

And that's here is where my plan went all wrong. My lovely friend the jailer made an appearance again. I was just standing there in the shadows, contemplating how I was going to use the tortured man in the cell beside me as my secret weapon out, when all of a sudden, someone was coming through the hallways.

'Come out, come out wherever you, are, dearie…The entire castle is in uproar but no one listens to old Ricasso, Ricasso knows the filthy little maiden will be where she belongs, back home In her dungeon…come out come wherever you are…' He walked by so close to where I was standing I could smell the dung odor waves hitting my nose.

What a lovely way to spend my birthday, I thought. And then, it really did begin to smell bad. Really, really, bad, and I had an awful urge to sneeze.

'A-Ah-AHCHOOOO!' I exploded and the sound echoed around the high prison walls. And before I could say excuse me, the jailer was upon me and a sack was thrown upon my head. Needless to say, I twisted and yelled for all I was worth, but he kept pushing and prodding till I just had to stop and let him lead me like some kind of pack animal.

And when he finally walked me through what I suspect is the main hall, where I was before, he led me into a darkly lit room where he finally allowed me to pull the burlap sack up and over my head, and pushed me into a chair. It was all happening so fast my head was spinning, so it took me a few moments to get my bearings.

I was in a small, round, darkly lit room. A fireplace was at one end, and various armchairs were scattered about. I guess it was rather cozy, in some ways, if it wasn't for the ominous dark profile of a man standing with his back facing me in front of the fireplace. The jailer produced another pair of (thicker, I noticed) handcuffs and attached my wrist to the arm chair. He pushed back his greasy hair, his chest heaving from the exertion. 'I have the little wench your Majesty. Put up quite a little fight, she did. If I was you I'd give her a flogging like she –'

'If that is all, then Ricasso, you may leave.' It was not a request issuing coldly from the man. I couldn't help it, Diary, I felt my heartbeat grow faster. Much faster.

Ricasso muttered something, twisted his hands, gave me wonderfully lovely glare as goodbye, and left. What a sad, sad little man.

The man in dark profile turned around, and his face was still in shadow, but I didn't need to see his face to know that if he was, indeed, who I thought he was, I was in big trouble.

The King of Derudia, you see, doesn't accept no for an answer.

And I had a pretty clear idea of what he was going to ask me.

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**Author's Note: Thanks so much to all who have reviewed! I really don't enjoy much the first chapters of a story but now it begins to get interesting. This chapter was a little dodgy in terms of pace, and I just want make it clear that this is still in the diary entry where she is writing from her jail cell. **

**I will pick up from here next time.**

**Until then, drive safely (sorry, too many accidents on the roads this week) and REVIEW!!!**

**They really do make me type faster and I nearly scared my entire family last time I read all the lovely 4 reviews I received. Thank you, thank you!!!!**


	3. Much Intelligent Conversation

**Thanks for 4 reviews goes to: _dragonfangjade_, _aimeram, Scoutcraft Piratess, _and_ narnialover_ - Thanks!!!

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_Chapter 3_

So there I was, in the dark private study which belonged to the King of Derudia.

Enemy of my father.

My kidnapper.

So I guess it's safe to assume that I wasn't exactly in the best of positions. He could virtually do anything to me and there wasn't a thing I could do to stop it. I admit, Diary that at this point I was beginning to get frustrated. I banged me hands as hard as I could against the armrest.

'Show some decency! How dare you tie up a lady in such a manner?' I snarled. It was so not fair. And my nose itched

He chuckled to himself. 'And pray, do tell me, if you are such a proper lady as you say you are, is it not impolite to freely roam my castle? No, Princess, I think you will remain bound until you hear what I have to say.'

I rolled my eyes. 'Do you really think I'm going to sit hear and listen to you warble on about- about well….you know what I mean!! I know perfectly well what you want, and I refuse to go along quietly with it!'

He sighed, as if he'd known I would act like this. It only infuriated me even more. He walked around the furniture in the room, and, with my eyes never leaving him; he pulled up a chair and sat in front of me.

That's about when I got my first good look at him, and I could see he wasn't looking too good. His wrinkled forehead suggested few smiles, and dark circles under his eyes prod me to think that here was a man who'd suffered many a sleepless night. I'm sure he was quite young but there was nothing in his appearance to show it. His straw colored hair was already sparse and showed traces of grey.

But his eyes were not unkind as they bored intensely into mine. 'Princess, if you do not even listen to what I have to say, how will you know whether or not you agree to it?'

Ok. Let's get one thing clear. You are not my conscience. You have are in no way entitled to mock, reprimand, laugh, or in general humiliate me in any way whatsoever. I'm being kind enough to liven up your life by telling you every detail of this horrid adventure, and you are only allowed to listen (read?) and not comment no matter how stupid anything I do is.

Good, now that we have that clear, I'll tell you what happened next.

I shut my eyes and began singing rather hideously. 'LaLALALALALALALA!!!' At the top of my voice. With my eyes shut. And, Diary, I _know _it was immature and silly and petty but he was being so unfair. And there was no other way for me to get his attention. He wasn't even giving me a choice whether or not I had to listen to him.

'Laaaaalaaalaaa…LaLalaLa' I droned on. 'Princess, please!!' He yelled at me, above the sound of my mellifluous voice. I wailed louder.

'Arrrgh!' He clapped his hands over his ears to block out my voice, a look of pure anguish crossing his face. I think I felt a spark of pity for him for about one second, and then it was extinguished when I thought about my moldy cell.

'Can you just –'

'I CANT HEAR YOOOOU!!!' I sang on and on, if you could call it that.

'Please, just be quiet for one moment, we can discuss this properly-'

'I'm NOT LISTENIIINNG!!!!' I sounded like a petulant child singing.

Gosh, my cheeks are burning right now even writing this out. Why do I do this to myself??

Finally, the poor King had enough. 'SIILENCE!!' He roared. I was shocked into silence.

'I want you to listen, and to listen very carefully.' He said, breathing hard. I too was panting. We both regarded each other with extreme irritation. 'I am going to ask something of you, and I will NOT – I repeat – WILL NOT force you into it if you do not wish to. I am only asking you to give it a reasonable thought because it really is not as preposterous as you think. Why, as a member of a royal family you are in fact bound by the law to marry only someone of noble descent–'

'King Jasper.' I cut in tiredly. 'I'm very sorry about this but my decision is final. I-' Here I paused, for dramatic effect, of course. 'I will _not_ marry you!' There. It's out. I only hope the poor man will take it well.

His reaction was unexpected, to say the least.

He burst into a fit of laughter. Really loud, raucous _laughter._ I regarded the man with utmost caution now, as though he might explode any second. 'Err…Jasper? Can I call you that? Are…are you alright? You did hear me, right?'

He waved his hand at me between wheezes. 'Oh…oh my…I haven't laughed that hard since your father said he would send his Royal Marine battleships to attack me, not knowing there was in fact an easier passage through land. You really do come from a family of very amusing people, Princess.' He said, wiping the corners of his eyes.

'I really don't see what is quite so funny,' I said, miffed.

'I cannot believe you thought…heeheehee…you thought _I_ wanted to marry _you_.' He let out another chuckle.

By now I was truly and properly mad, Diary. What's a girl supposed to think when a King kidnaps her, says he has something to tell her? What else could there be, except to ask my hand in marriage?! What, was he going to ask my opinion on whether or not he should make an Alliance with the merpeople, or something?

And on top of everything, he insults my family, and lets me know just how preposterous the idea of me marrying him would be. Makes me feel just great, huh?

'Well…if that's not the reason…why did you bring me here?' I muttered, not quite meeting his eyes.

I don't think could any more humiliated then I already was.

He _still_ hadn't stopped laughing.

'Oh, get a grip on yourself!' I snapped.

'I'm sorry, my dear. Now, the real reason I brought you here, of course, is you ask you, on behalf of my son, Prince Zac, if you would be _his _bride.' He said merrily. We might have been discussing the weather.

I was sure that I'd just heard wrong. I closed my eyes. 'Please tell me you did not just say that.' I said.

I opened my eyes. He just chuckled, saying 'You'll come around soon enough, I'm sure. You're a smart girl.'

'Don't.' I said, irritated. 'Why, exactly, are you doing this? Is your son so hideous that he can't find his own bride? On second though, he probably is. I mean, he's _your-'_

'She left me. Lavia. My…wife.' He said, quietly, as though he had no choice but to make me understand. The change had come about him faster then a lover's first quarrel.

How ironic, considering what we were about to discuss.

He stared determinedly into the fire, avoiding my eyes. 'Zac was just a little boy. And she couldn't stand the sight of me. I can't really blame her; I was a monster back then.' His voiced dropped to a whisper, and I listened intently to the sound of his voice.

'I was conquering lands right and left, obsessed with power. By the time I finally realized what was truly important to me – it was too late. One night we had a terrible fight, and she packed her bags and threatened to take Zac with her. I begged her to stay, to give me another chance. I promised I would change but it was all in vain. The damage was done.' He looked at me with hollow eyes.

'I swore to myself this would not happen to my son. That is why I plan on finding the perfect bride for him, one who will not desert him. You were on top of my list. Rumors say that you can keep a cool head, though I'm beginning to doubt that now.' He smiled wearily now, and I saw a glimpse of a man whose power was waning like a setting sun. He was once known to be a great and ruthless leader of the Derudian Armies, but this man seemed diminished compared to the legends I'd heard about him. He seemed frail, though not old.

Still, no matter what he said I was not going to change my mind. I smiled sweetly at him, with no lack of compassion.' I understand that you want to arrange a marriage for him, but if he's as bad as you used to be, and I've heard he is, that wont stop any maiden from abandoning him. It's wrong to force him into a loveless marriage. At least, you won't be forcing me into one, at any rate. You'll have to drag me up to the alter, kicking and screaming.'

He did not seem impressed or surprised.

'I expected as much. Very well, I cannot impose my will upon you, but it doesn't mean I'll release you. You shall remain captive until you come to your senses.' He smiled back just as cordially to me.

'Oh, and Princess, do not try anything foolish. I may not be as fearsome as I used to be, but you would well to obey me. Look behind you.' I glared at him, and twisted in the chair as best as I could.

I gasped.

The large wall behind me was decked out my knives. Long, skinny knives, butcher knives, scimitars, swords, flamberges, razor thin blades, blades curved to form a sickle – the man had it all. All meticulously placed on the wall, and all menacingly glistening, as if they were kept in good shape. I understood the not-so-subtle threat immediately.

'You're the most- most'. I couldn't think of what, exactly, he was. 'What is the point in keeping me here?' I said to him finally

He just smiled, and called for the guards to take me away, and I Ieft the room marginally wiser then when I entered.

**Still in the darn cell**

So there you have it. A strange meeting with a strange man - a King, a father, a kidnapper – and yet he seemed kind, mellow, almost.

And I'm right back to where I started – in the cell. Except, of course, he's given me quite a lot to think about. I'm not much better off except for the information of where my cell is located and why I'm here.

And, of course, I have the added advantage of the two curved knives I nicked from the King's study.

Goodnight, Diary.

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**A/N: Hope you had a wonderful New Years/ Christmas/Holidays. I have exams coming up but if the reviews inspire enough I'll post before the dreaded exams one more time. After exams I can almost guarantee regular updates.**

**Please review!!**

_Goodnight, everyone._


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